The confidence to push the threshold of product performance of future transportation and mobility solutions requires enterprises to be able to weigh the potential trade-offs of their products' cost, quality, safety, function, and use of resources. The best way to achieve goals for energy efficiency, safety, comfort, and lightweight is to evaluate if a proposed product is practical when it comes to the selected material type, shape and geometry, production costs, and logistics requirements, early on.

Having reached the limits of conventional body manufacturing, new concepts introduce novel materials and processes to further increase range, reduce energy consumption, while maintaining safety. Going forward, product development decisions cannot be made without cross-checking the manufacturing feasibility of those same products. The manufacturing requirements of the last century's products are transforming to suit the aspirations of modern mobility:

Manufacturing Processes Vehicle Part

 

  • Manufacturing disciplines historically associated with smaller production volumes will be challenged to ramp up to the needs of their expanded use in manufacturing (E.g., composites, with relatively low annual production yield, needs to increase by several degrees of magnitude)

  • Manufacturing processes used to produce vital vehicular structures will not be monolithically delivered by single manufacturing industry domain (E.g., stamping and welding are not the sole sources of automotive Body-in-White)

Will strength and performance characteristics, intended for the new products, be achievable, as proposed, in the manufacturing delivery of those products? By applying Smart Manufacturing, companies can validate the proposed manufacturing processes and material requirements set forth by the product development and design engineering teams.

Virtual Prototyping for a Wide Range of Manufacturing Process Domains

It’s been said that; when your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Defining the right material and manufacturing process to deliver a product is a decision that is sometimes made by the availability of the tools on hand. Say you decide to invest heavily in gravity casting simulation technology – how prepared are you for the day your foundry quotes a high pressure die casting project? Or maybe you invest in simulation for stamping sheet metal, and then your product transitions to carbon fiber constructions – will you be ready?

ESI invites you into the world of Smart Manufacturing – a place where solutions for early feasibility live – a place where you no longer have to rely on 1-step simulation codes to predict design issues. Our Smart Manufacturing solutions are embedded with process know-how, which helps users of all skill levels define a reliable process plan and predict if a part’s design will need changes. This is all done in the early development stages, giving you the security of a solid foundation.

Allow us to be your partner as you prepare for this upcoming transformation. Our history of simulating physics behavior and a wide range of material processing technologies – from sheet metal stamping & welding assembly, to die casting, sand casting, and investment casting, or even manufacturing resin-infused or pre-preg composite structures – we have an ‘app’ for that. Don’t let an IT decision about a software provider prevent your enterprise from addressing this shifting ecosystem of manufacturing technology. Stay a step ahead.

How Smart Manufacturing Can Benefit You

Users who integrate ESI Smart Manufacturing solutions into their product and process validation processes can expect massive time and money savings associated with physical prototyping, not to mention the costs avoided when they can experience assembly in advance.

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